Are you tired of:

• mowing?

• having to water your grass to keep it green all summer long?

• or all the chemicals being used to keep it green and healthy?

Now is a great time of year to rethink your yard space and incorporate some native plants.  

Why go native?

Plants native to the Northern Virginia area able to withstand weather and soil conditions better.

Ditching your yard space for a bed of native plants will also help the environment by attracting bees, birds, and butterflies to your yard.

You can start small by enlarging a current bed to remove some of the grass and reduce your mowing, or you could add a new bed of native plants.  Either way going native is the best option to enhance your yard.

I got the “bug” (pun intended) to go native several years ago when I removed (yanked, dug, cut) a large overgrown bush in my front yard. I wanted to replace it with perennial plants that added color.  This Native plant guide booklet is a great resource with pictures and descriptions on soil & sun requirements. The guide is produced locally and can help you figure out what plants can work in your yard. It was my go-to resource in helping me figure out what plants to add and where to my yard.

Once you have an idea of some new plants you’d like to add to your garden, the next step is to find where to purchase them.  There are native plant sales available throughout the area over the spring & summer months.  I highly advise checking out one or more of these sales as it’s a great place to talk to gardeners and get helpful tips and suggestions for your yard. Be sure to bring pictures of your yard along with you more personalized advice.

Lastly, I found joining a local Facebook gardening group very helpful. Group members are there to help and encourage your gardening efforts as well as share extra plants they have as they thin out their gardens.  It’s been a great way for me to learn and expand my garden without breaking the budget.

Don’t get overwhelmed by thinking you need a specific plan before you start digging.  Plants are pretty resilient and they can be moved around when they are small.  So, if they aren’t thriving in one area move them to another area of your yard before giving up. 

Then start watching and you’ll be amazed at what starts springing up in your yard.  I regularly see butterflies, moths, and bees buzzing around.  And don’t be alarmed by more bees, they are there to collect pollen not to sting you.

Going native will help you save on your watering bill, cut down on your mowing and help the environment in return.

Check out the Native Plant Guide along with visiting a native plant sale this spring and don’t be surprised if you catch the gardening bug!  I’d love to hear from any of you if you decide to go native and transform even a small area of your yard.